Default fields and merge tags

Default fields are the predefined or default fields available in Zoho Marketing Automation to store contact data. There are multiple default fields with different field type to store a wide variety of data. You can use this data to personalize campaigns to capture your contacts' attention and convert them into customers.

Merge tags are used to pull data directly from default fields to your email campaigns. You can personalize the subject and your messages with your recipient's data. In this article, we'll walk you through various types of merge tags and edit tags, and how these merge tags can be beneficial for your marketing campaigns. You can fetch this data easily using merge tags.

Merge tag format

You can add merge tags by clicking in the Merge Tag button in the template editor after choosing the appropriate text component while creating campaigns. In the Merge Tag drop down choose an appropriate merge tag.

What happens if there is no value mapped for a field, then will that merge tag be replaced by a blank space?

If your field value is blank, then the merge tag can be replaced with the text you provide with the merge tag using a pipe ( | ) symbol. You can use this in any predefined merge tag to avoid your merge tag being replaced with a blank space if a contact field has no value in it.

Mail default value - In the absence of a custom field item, whatever you give as a mail default value will occupy that place. In the above case, Customer is the mail default value.

How to assign default merge tag value?

To assign a default merge tag value:

Click the Settings icon in the top right corner of the page.
Click Contact fields under General Settings.
Click More beside the required field then click Edit.
Enter the value and click Update.

Contact detail Tags

Contact detail tags consist of three merge tags - Email, First Name and Last Name. You can use these tags to address the contacts in your campaigns.

$[UD:CONTACT_EMAIL]$

This can be used to fetch the email address of the contacts. You can use this in your campaign to address your contacts and also let them know which email address they have used to subscribe.

$[UD:FIRSTNAME]$

This tag can be used to address your contacts by their first name. This tag can be used if you are sure that your contact’s first name is mapped to the predefined field for first name.

$[UD:LASTNAME]$

This tag can be used to address your contacts by their last name. This tag can be used if you are sure that your contact’s first name is mapped to the predefined field for last name.

Header and footer tags

In the Header and Footer section, you can find the display links that determine the background information, such as sender of the email, and also provides the end users with quick links.

$[LI:SUBSCRIBE]$

Subscribe enables the recipients to subscribe and receive email notifications, updates and newsletters. Add it in your email for the contacts to subscribe.

$[LI:UNSUBSCRIBE]$

Unsubscribe enables the contact to unsubscribe from your list. The contact will be moved to Do Not Mail Registry. Once the contacts are moved, they'll stop receiving emails.

$[LI:TELLAFRIEND]$

Tell-a-friend enables email recipients to forward the content to a friend.

$[LI:UPDATEPROFILE]$

Update profile enables the contacts to update their profile.

$[LI:VIEWINBROWSER]$

View in browser enables you to open the email in a separate browser. It appears as a banner above the email content.

$[HF:ORGADDRESS]$

Company address enables you to display the organization address from your brand profile.

$[LI:SOURCE]$

Update profile enables the contacts to update the source through which they heard about your organization.

$[LI:SUB_PREF]$

Contact preference enables the contact to choose the newsletters they prefer to receive.

$[LI:PRIVACY]$

Privacy link enables you to provide a link that takes the contact to the privacy policy of Zoho.

$[HF:ORGINFO]$

Imprint information enables you to display the imprint information you have provided under your company profile.

$[LI:TERMS]$

Terms link enables you to provide a link that states the Terms and Conditions of Zoho.

Notes:

If you don't want to place these links in your email's Header & Footer section, you can use the corresponding merge tags to embed those links within your campaign content.
If you plan to import your campaign, copy and paste the relevant merge tags in your HTML before importing.
If you select Text/HTML editor, copy and paste the relevant tags corresponding to their respective position within your content. You cannot click and include the tags in these editors.

List info tags

These merge tags pull information about your mailing list, such as list name, contact count and names of segments under the mailing list.

$[ML:LISTNAME]$

This tag displays the mailing list name.

$[ML:LISTSUBCOUNT]$

This tag displays the number of contacts in the list.

$[ML:SEGMENTNAME]$

This tag displays the segment names under that mailing list.

You can utilize these merge tags when you need to share the list details in your email campaigns.

Survey merge tags

Survey Merge Tags are used to generate the survey name and survey link in the Content section of your survey campaign. You need to use these merge tags if you want to include your survey URL and name in your survey campaigns.

$[ZS:SURVEYURL]$

This tag generates the survey URL.

$[ZS:SURVEYNAME]$

This tag generates the survey name.

You can view the survey name and link in the merge tags section of your content creation page. Click the merge tags associated with survey name and survey link to paste those in the template.

If you select Text/HTML editor copy and paste relevant tags corresponding to their respective positions within your content. You cannot click and include the tags in these editors.

CRM merge tags

Prerequisite:

To use this enhancement, the user must have integrated the Zoho CRM account and have at least one active sync running.

Personalize sender details

You can send an email campaign with a personalized sender name and email address of a Contact or Lead owner assigned to that record in Zoho CRM with the help of CRM merge tags. This makes it easy for contacts in Zoho CRM to relate with the sender that they're familiar with.

Personalize campaign content

The merge tags pulls specific data from CRM based on how the information is requested within the email content. This means you need to be cautious where you're placing the merge tags.

vCard merge tag

You can be added as a safe sender in your contact's inbox by including a vCard tag in your email content.

$[LI:VCF]$

vCard is an attachment with the sender's or your contact details. If you add this merge tag to an email campaign, your contact details will be sent as an attachment. In Gmail and Outlook, when a subscriber clicks on the attachment, you will be added as a contact. A download link is also sent. Subscribers can use this link if the attachment is not supported in their email client. You can choose the Insert Link option to customize the link.

Use case:

Is there a way to make your contacts add you to their contact list without directly asking them to do so?

You can get yourself into your contact contact list with the help of vCard merge tag. A vCard is an attachment with the sender's contact details. It consists of the attachment of contact details which will be added to contact's contact list when they click it. A download link is also sent, which contacts can use if the attachment is not supported by their email clients.

Print tags

You can provide an option to print the email campaign using Merge tags. These merge tags make your contacts to print your email campaign.

$[ET:PRINTLINK]$

This tag generates a link to print the email campaign.

$[ET:PRINTICON]$

This tag generates an icon to print the email campaign.

$[ET:PRINTICON|Print|Print this]$

This tag generates an icon with Print as hover message.

Comment tags

You can let recipients post comments on email campaign using merge tags.

$[ET:COMMENTS_LINK]$

This tag generates a link to add comment in email campaign.

$[ET:COMMENTS_ICON]$

This tag generates an icon to add comment in email campaign.

$[ET:COMMENTS_ICON|Comments|Add comments]$

This tag generates an icon with hover comment as Add Comment in email campaign.

Email Consent tag

You can let the recipients to consent to receive more such emails from you using this merge tag. It should be noted that this tag can only be added from the content editor page while drafting an email. This option is not available in the contact field section under Settings.

$[LI:EMAILCONSENT]$

This tag generates a link to consent to receive future mails.

Notes:

You can apply text formatting to the merge tag. This format will be reflected in the merge tag data.
While applying style to a merge tag, ensure to select the merge tag fully. If you apply text formatting to part of a merge tag, then it won't work.